since I started being sexually active i often experienced burning in my vagina which was often worse during sex /around the time of my period or when using lubricants. I was never able to use tampons because the one time i tried putting them in it felt like acid was poured on my skin. Fast forward to 2 months ago when I got a UTI and an allergic reaction in my vagina. I thought it …

So 7 years ago I had a case of BV...the antibiotic caused a horrible yeast infection which took 5 months to 'get rid of'. During this time I had allergic reactions to 2 of the yeast infection creams which magnified the pain. Over the past 7 years I've tried multiple rounds of physical therapy (they only slightly helped), chiropractic, nerve blocks, medications to target nerve pain (amitriptyline, …

Hello,
Has anyone had success with this cream in helping their vulvodynia? How long has it taken to help? I’ve had some success with it, but not completely better. I’ve been on it for a month. I️ was hoping to hear from some ladies who have had major success with this cream. I’m hoping for some encouragement here. This condition is so frustrating. I’m lucky enough to have access to two …

After years of being misdiagnosed etc as most women have on this forum I have finally been diagnosed with vulvodynia (yay) and have been given the lowest dose of an antidepressant called Amitriptyline. Has anyone been on this before and has any positive (or negative) news to give me? Im feeling down already and I've only been taking it for a few days, I don't have much hope of it …

I'm new here and wanted to ask for some advice whilst I wait to see a specialist nurse.

After urinary problems which lasted 7 weeks, I finally saw a urologist, who on examination discovered significant inflammation and called in a gynaecologist, who diagnosed vestibulitis. They referred me to a nurse who specialises in vulvar skin issues. That was 5 weeks ago, and I'm still waiting for the …

Hi guys new here and newly diagnosed. So I had bv and then after alot of antibiotics and home remedies I still continued to have weird symptoms despite swabs being negative. Two seperate gynes have told me I have vulvodynia as a result of the area being overwhelmed. So first gave me lidocaine which xidnt do much. No I am on amitriptyline for the past 5 days. Seems to be kicking in a little (im a …

I'm here because I'm pretty sure I have secondary provoked vestibuldynia, even though my gyno is still "optimistic" it is not. My problem started six months ago when I got my second UTI in as many months (after going 25 years of life without one) and then ended up with a bad yeast infection (also my first one ever) thanks to the antibiotics. Ever since the yeast …

Hello everyone. I have recently been diagnosed with unprovoked vulvodynia and would really appreciate some advice and support. I have had a chronic urine infection for 16 months and was on antibiotics for 9 of those months. I have been very uncomfortable for the entire time, but now I have absolutely unbearable stinging and burning all day with itching too. The infection has just about gone, …

Long Story, but I am losing my mind and getting really depressed, so if I tell the full story maybe someone can help me.

Back in August I started to get an itch down there. Normally, in the past, when this would happen, I would change the way I wore my clothes, take more baths instead of showers, and use Monistat. This time, after about two weeks of no relief, I started to get concerned. I was …

Bonjour tout le monde. I'm actually from NW England but am lucky enough to be in France on a career break. I won't give you all of my history, as it would take too long. Anyway, I found this website by chance, during a frantic Google search after a severe flare up of vestibulodynia while here in France. While in panic mode (becaused my French is very limited), I discovered (on my Kindle) Amy Stein's book, "Heal Pelvic Pain", which rang so many bells with me as I discovered that my body was absolutely full of 'trigger points'. I also managed to get a copy of Isa Herrera's book, "Ending Female Pain". Both advocate a combination of gentle stretching, relaxation, massage etc, which made me realise that I had been holding all of my pelvic muscles tight for a long time (probably due to a past combination of heavy periods, mild prolapse and UTIs). I'm now 11 days short of being officially menopausal - yipee! I plucked up the courage to see a French GP, who has prescribed Lysanxia (prazepam), which seems to be helping, (though I have now developed hives). Anyway, I have never previously contributed to forums (or is it fora?), but I am really impressed by this website and I hope that I might be able to offer support, as well as receiving it. I notice on the VPS (UK) website that they are planning a women's workshop in Manchester on 14th May. I do hope this goes ahead, as I've arranged a trip back to the UK to coincide with it. As far as I know, I've never met a fellow sufferer, but then, it's not such an easy topic to bring into conversation, is it? Keep smiling!

the workshops if they are the same, im pretty sure they are, are run by Dr David Nunns. I had an appointment with him on Monday just. Hes a sweet guy (lacking in the sense of humour dept but maybe he was having an off day). I didnt find his advice from the workshop very useful but I dont seem to have the same symptoms as most of the ladies out there. Anyhooz, i bid u good luck!

Welcome to the forum again we are all a bunch of lovely ladies Let us know if you want to join the group on facebook (secret group so no telling the world about ur lady bits We tend to catch up on there (about 20 of us) most days and ive found it a great help when im having a bad day, or even a good day we do have a laugh

Ahhhh bugger, shit and damn, I just lost the post I made. I'll see how the memory goes a second time around.

Hello and welcome!

I'm at the bottom of the world and I really envy you being in France. That's my runaway place!

This is a great place for information, support and to have a laugh. The FB group is a lot of fun as well. We've just figured out how to group chat - well group bullshit!

Good luck with finding treatment, a lot of us are doing physio. It seems to be shaking things up for me, I have tension everywhere now. Don't stress out trying to find someone with the same symptoms as you. It's impossible! This thing does whatever it wants.

I'm a believer in mind/body and soul healing. I eat well (so that's limiting sugar ahhhhhh and I'm gluten free because I have CD) I try to get quality sleep, drink loads of water, limit coffee and alcohol, have a great therapist to unclog the over active brain, the aforementioned physio and I really try to remain calm. Which is bloody difficult with a burning pain in the hoooha!!! I think the body needs some special love and attention for a while so I try to only get drunk occasionally

I hope you are having some happy painfree days. Email Sebby about the FB group if you are keen. You can see what we all look like

I hope I'm doing this right. It can take me a while to get used to technology. Anyway, thanks gals for responding to my 'virgin' posting. Naomi, yes, I would be interested in joining the facebook forum - if I can figure out how it works. It made me laugh that a couple of you thought the posting was going to be all in French - I wish I was in a very stressful job, in the strapped for cash UK public sector and they would not allow me to reduce my hours. What with the vulval pain, arthritis in my neck, migraines, prolonged menopause and general stress, I think they were very lucky I took hardly any sick leave. Anyway, I saved up, paid off the mortgage and told them that I wanted a career break or else I would resign when my partner retired at the end of sept 2010. I could hardly believe it when they said OK. So here we are, 'living the dream', learning French and waiting for the reduction in stress to get rid of all my pain. Well - the migraines and neck pain are a lot better. Not sure why the 'down-below' got worse, but I wonder whether it could be to do with all the hill walking and subsequent increased tightening of the pelvic muscles. You'd think all that extra cardio-vascular stuff would improve things, but what do I know. This French medication has helped enormously, the only problem is that I had not realised that the amitriptyline had been protecting me from hives. I had hives before being diagnosed with vestibulodynia, but never spoke to the doctor about it cos it was so mild. I think it might be caused by long term use of an ACE inhibitor, for chronic kidney disease. On a positive note, this blasted itching is giving me something new to think about Anyway, I'm making myself sound like a right old wreck, but in fact I've always been extremely healthy - up to 2 years ago I had never been on any meds in my life apart from occasional antibiotics. Anyway, good luck to you all. I would be interested to hear how your physio / bio-feedback etc goes. Au revoir